#Funding charity with a personal loan

[fincrif]

Should You Take a Personal Loan to Fund Social Causes?

Supporting social causes such as charity, community development, environmental projects, or education initiatives is a noble endeavor. However, financing such causes often requires substantial funds. When personal savings or donations are insufficient, people might consider taking a personal loan to fund these causes.

But is this a good financial decision? In this article, we explore the pros and cons of taking a personal loan for social causes, alternative funding options, and factors to consider before making a decision.

1. Can You Take a Personal Loan for Social Causes?

Yes, banks and NBFCs allow personal loans to be used for any legitimate purpose, including charity and social welfare. Unlike home or car loans that have specific end-use restrictions, personal loans offer flexibility in fund utilization.

🔹 Loan Amount: ₹50,000 – ₹50 lakh 🔹 Interest Rate: 10-24% per annum 🔹 Repayment Tenure: 12 to 84 months 🔹 Approval Time: Instant to a few days

🔗 Explore Personal Loan Options:

IDFC First Bank Personal Loan

Bajaj Finserv Personal Loan

Tata Capital Personal Loan

While borrowing for a social cause is possible, it is essential to analyze its financial impact before applying.

2. Pros of Taking a Personal Loan for Social Causes

If you’re considering a personal loan to support a social cause, here are some benefits:

2.1. Immediate Access to Funds

A personal loan provides quick access to funds, allowing you to support urgent social projects such as medical aid, disaster relief, or community programs without waiting for donations.

2.2. No Restrictions on Loan Usage

Unlike business or education loans, personal loans allow you to use the money freely for causes like: ✔ Charity donations ✔ NGO support ✔ Medical aid for underprivileged groups ✔ Disaster relief initiatives

2.3. Easy Repayment Options

Lenders offer flexible EMIs to help borrowers manage repayments comfortably over several years.

2.4. Builds Credit Score

Timely EMI payments can improve your credit score, making it easier to access future loans at lower interest rates.

2.5. No Need for Collateral

Most personal loans are unsecured, meaning you don’t need to pledge property, gold, or assets to borrow funds.

3. Cons of Taking a Personal Loan for Social Causes

While borrowing for social causes is commendable, there are financial risks to consider:

3.1. High Interest Rates

Personal loans have interest rates ranging from 10% to 24%, which can significantly increase the repayment burden over time.

3.2. Risk of Financial Burden

If you take a personal loan without a stable income source, you may struggle with EMI payments, leading to financial stress.

3.3. Debt Accumulation

Borrowing money for non-revenue-generating purposes can increase your financial liabilities without any monetary returns.

3.4. Impact on Credit Score in Case of Default

Failure to repay the loan on time can damage your credit score, making it harder to secure future loans.

3.5. Alternative Funding Options May Be Better

Instead of taking on personal debt, exploring grants, crowdfunding, or donations may be a more financially responsible approach.

4. Alternative Ways to Fund Social Causes Without Taking a Loan

Before committing to a personal loan, consider the following alternative funding options:

4.1. Crowdfunding

Platforms like Ketto, Milaap, and GoFundMe allow individuals and organizations to raise funds from the public without repayment obligations.

4.2. Corporate Sponsorships & CSR Grants

Many companies have Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programs that fund community projects. You can apply for CSR sponsorships from major corporations.

4.3. Government & NGO Grants

Several government schemes and NGOs provide grants for social work. These funds are interest-free and do not require repayment.

4.4. Donations from High-Net-Worth Individuals (HNWIs)

Approach philanthropists, angel investors, and charitable trusts that actively support social causes.

4.5. Community Fundraising Events

Host charity events, auctions, or benefit concerts to generate funds instead of relying on loans.

By exploring these non-loan options, you can fund social initiatives without financial stress.

5. When Should You Consider Taking a Personal Loan for Social Causes?

If alternative funding sources are unavailable and the social cause is urgent, taking a personal loan may be justified under these conditions:

✔ You have a clear repayment plan (stable income to cover EMIs). ✔ The social cause has an immediate impact (e.g., emergency medical assistance). ✔ The loan amount is reasonable and won’t overburden your finances. ✔ You’ve exhausted all other fundraising options.

6. How to Apply for a Personal Loan for a Social Cause?

If you decide to proceed, follow these steps:

Step 1: Choose a Loan Provider

Compare interest rates, loan amounts, and repayment terms before applying.

🔗 Recommended Loan Providers:

Axis Finance Personal Loan

InCred Personal Loan

Step 2: Check Eligibility

Most lenders require:

Age: 21 to 60 years

Minimum Income: ₹2.5 lakh per annum

Credit Score: 650+ preferred

Stable Employment or Business

Step 3: Submit Required Documents

KYC Documents: Aadhaar, PAN, Passport, or Voter ID

Income Proof: Salary slips or bank statements

Loan Purpose Statement (optional but recommended)

Step 4: Loan Disbursal

If approved, the loan amount is credited within 24-72 hours.

7. Conclusion: Is Taking a Personal Loan for a Social Cause a Good Idea?

While a personal loan can provide quick financial support for social initiatives, it comes with financial risks. Before taking a loan, explore alternative funding methods like crowdfunding, CSR grants, and government support to avoid unnecessary debt.

If you must borrow, ensure you have a repayment plan, choose affordable loan terms, and avoid borrowing more than you can manage.

🔗 Looking for a Personal Loan? Check the Best Options Here:

Apply for a Personal Loan

By making an informed decision, you can support social causes while maintaining financial stability!

[theambitiouswoman]

Like it or not, you’re in a relationship with anything that takes up your time, thoughts, and energy— and that includes money. In fact, the two longest relationships you’ll have are with yourself and with money. Both of these relationships affect how you live & your relationship with money doesn’t have to be stressful.

Think about how you feel about money. Do you see it as hard to get or something that flows easily to you What do you want your money to do for you? Save for a trip? Buy a home? Setting specific goals gives you direction.

A budget is just a plan for your money. It helps you see where it’s going and where you can make better choices. Focus on what you already have instead of what you don’t. Gratitude can help you feel more abundant.

Create a budget and write down all of your expenses. Most people don’t know where their money goes because they dont take into account their pleasure purchases. Put some money aside for yourself before paying for other things. It’s a simple way to build up your savings. If you have debt, make a plan to pay it off. Start with the high interest ones first.

Don’t fear money. See it as a tool that can come and go. Believe that you can always create more. Share what you can, even if it’s a small amount. It helps you feel more connected to abundance. The more you complain about not having, the less you will continue to have. You have to learn how to think abundantly.

You can downloads any of these apps:

Mint

YNAB (You Need a Budget)

PocketGuard

Goodbudget

Undebt.it

Honeydue

Personal Capital

EveryDollar

———————————

Alternatively, here’s a templare you can copy and paste:

1. Income

• Primary Income: $_________

• Side Income: $_________

• Other Income (e.g., investments, bonuses): $_________

Total Income: $_________

2. Fixed Expenses

(Expenses that stay the same each month)

• Rent/Mortgage: $_________

• Utilities (Electricity, Water, Gas): $_________

• Internet/Phone: $_________

• Insurance (Health, Car, Home): $_________

• Debt Payments (Loans, Credit Cards): $_________

• Subscriptions (Streaming, Gym, etc.): $_________

Total Fixed Expenses: $_________

3. Variable Expenses

(Expenses that can change each month)

• Groceries: $_________

• Transportation (Gas, Public Transit, etc.): $_________

• Eating Out/Entertainment: $_________

• Shopping (Clothes, Household Items): $_________

• Personal Care (Skincare, Haircuts): $_________

• Miscellaneous: $_________

Total Variable Expenses: $_________

4. Savings and Investments

• Emergency Fund: $_________

• Retirement (401k, IRA, etc.): $_________

• Investments: $_________

• Specific Savings Goals (Travel, Home, etc.): $_________

Total Savings/Investments: $_________

5. Giving

(Donations, gifts, tithing, etc.)

• Charities/Donations: $_________

• Gifts: $_________

Total Giving: $_________

6. Summary

• Total Income: $_________

• Total Expenses (Fixed + Variable): $_________

• Total Savings/Investments: $_________

• Remaining Balance: $_________

[justinspoliticalcorner]

David Smith at The Guardian:

Losing an election for the highest office is a crushing blow that no candidate forgets. But when the American electorate delivers its verdict next week, the personal stakes for Donald Trump will be uniquely high. His fate will hover between the presidency and the threat of prison.

If he claims victory, Trump will be the first convicted criminal to win the White House and gain access to the nuclear codes. If he falls short, the 78-year-old faces more humiliating courtroom trials and potentially even time behind bars. It would be the end of a charmed life in which he has somehow always managed to outrun the law and duck accountability. For Trump, Tuesday is judgment day. “He branded himself as the guy who gets away with it,” said Gwenda Blair, a Trump biographer, adding that, should he lose, “he is facing a lot of moments of reckoning. He could go to jail. He could end up considerably less wealthy than he is. No matter what happens, and no matter whether he wins or loses, there will be a reckoning over his health. Death, ill health, dementia – those are things even he can’t escape.” The property developer and reality TV star has spent his career pushing ethical and legal boundaries to the limit, facing countless investigations, court battles and hefty fines. Worthy of a novel, his has been a life of scandal on a gargantuan scale.

In the 1970s Trump and his father were sued by the justice department for racial discrimination after refusing to rent apartments to Black people in predominantly white buildings. His property and casino businesses, including the Taj Mahal and Trump Plaza, filed for bankruptcy several times in the 1990s and early 2000s. Trump University, a business offering property training courses, faced multiple lawsuits for fraud, misleading marketing and false claims about the quality of its programmes. In 2016 Trump settled for $25m without admitting wrongdoing.

The Donald J Trump Foundation, a charitable organisation, was investigated and sued for allegedly using charitable funds for personal and business expenses. Trump eventually agreed to dissolve the foundation with remaining funds going to charity. Trump and his company were ordered to pay more than $350m in a New York civil fraud trial for artificially inflating his net worth to secure favourable loan terms. He is also known to have paid little to no federal income taxes in specific years which, although technically legal, was seen by some as bordering on unethical.

[...] He became the first president to be impeached twice, first for withholding military aid to pressure Ukraine’s government to investigate his political opponents, then for instigating a coup on 6 January 2021 following his defeat. He also became the subject of not one but four criminal cases, any one of which would have been enough to scuttle the chances of any other White House hopeful. In May Trump was found guilty of 34 counts of falsifying business records relating to a hush-money payment to the adult film performer Stormy Daniels, making him the first former president to be convicted of felony crimes. Sentencing is scheduled for 26 November (the judge delayed it from 18 September after the Republican nominee asked that it wait until after the election). What was billed as the trial of the century has already begun to fade from public consciousness and played a relatively modest role in the election campaign. Jonathan Alter, a presidential biographer who was in court for every day of the trial, recalled: “I’ve covered some big stories over the years but there was nothing like the drama of watching the jury foreperson say, ‘Guilty, guilty, guilty’ 34 times and Donald Trump looking like he was punched in the gut.” Alter, who describes the experience in his new book, American Reckoning, reflects on how Trump has been able to act with impunity for so long. “It’s a combination of luck, galvanised defiance and the credulousness of a large chunk of the American people,” he said. “Demagoguery works. Playing on people’s fears works. It doesn’t work all the time but we can look throughout human history to political figures and how demagoguery and scapegoating ‘the other’ works.”

Alter, who covered the trial for Washington Monthly magazine, added: “We’ve had plenty of demagogues, scoundrels and conmen in politics below the level of president. Trump has been lucky to escape accountability but the United States has been lucky that we haven’t had something like this before. The founders were very worried about it. They felt we would face something like this for sure.” The US’s system of checks and balances has been racing to keep up. Trump was charged by the special counsel Jack Smith with conspiring to overturn the results of his election loss to Joe Biden in the run-up to the January 6 riot at the US Capitol. The former president and 18 others were also charged by the Fulton county district attorney, Fani Willis, with taking part in a scheme to overturn his narrow loss in Georgia. Trump was charged again by Smith with illegally retaining classified documents that included nuclear secrets, taken with him from the White House to his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida after he left office in January 2021, and then obstructing government demands to give them back.

With a such a caseload, it was widely assumed that Trump would spend this election shuttling between rallies one day and trials the next. But the courtroom campaign never really happened since, true to past form, he found ways to throw sand in the gears of the legal system and put off his moment of reckoning.

Or he simply got lucky. In Georgia, it emerged that Willis had a romantic relationship with the special prosecutor Nathan Wade, prompting demands that she be removed. Smith’s federal election case was thrown off track for months by a supreme court ruling that presidents have immunity for official actions taken in office. The classified documents case was thrown out by Judge Aileen Cannon, a Trump appointee, although Smith is appealing and the charges could be reinstated. Such delays have made it easier to forget just how much of an outlier Trump is. Past presidential brushes with the law consisted of Ulysses S Grant being fined for speeding his horse-drawn carriage in Washington and Harry Truman receiving a ticket for driving his car too slowly on the Pennsylvania Turnpike in 1953. Richard Nixon resigned before he could be impeached over the Watergate scandal and was subsequently pardoned by his successor, Gerald Ford. Meanwhile the standard for presidential aspirants has been high. Joe Biden’s first run for the White House fell apart amid allegations that he had plagiarised a speech by Britain’s Labour leader Neil Kinnock. During the 2000 campaign, a last-minute revelation that Republican candidate George W Bush had a drunk driving conviction that he concealed for 24 years generated huge headlines and was seen as a possible gamechanger. Hillary Clinton still blames her 2016 defeat on an FBI investigation into her email server that produced no charges.

For Donald Trump, his run for the “Presidency” is all about avoiding any possible jail time for his indictments and felonies. If he loses, then Trump could be facing more trials and potentially jail time and/or massive fines.

Send Trump to prison, not the White House!

#TrumpForPrison #HarrisWalz2024

[odinsblog]

George Santos:

• Lied about his mother being a victim of the 9/11 attacks despite living in Brazil

• Lied about being Jewish

• Lied about his grandparents surviving the Holocaust

• Lied about having employees killed in the Pulse Nightclub shooting

• Lied about graduating from Baruch College

• Lied about being the star of the Baruch volleyball team

• Lied about getting his MBA at NYU

• Lied about working at Goldman Sachs and Citigroup

• Lied about his employment at LinkBridge Investors

• Worked at an investment firm accused by the SEC of being a Ponzi scheme

• Charged in Brazil with credit card fraud

• Lied about being a landlord and owning 13 properties

• Lied about founding an animal charity and personally pocketed donations

• Stole money from a disabled vet whose dog was dying

• Accused of writing bad checks to purchase puppies, then selling the puppies

• Indicted on 2 counts of wire fraud

• Indicted on 2 counts of making materially false statements to the FEC

• Indicted on 2 counts of falsifying records submitted to obstruct the FEC

• Indicted on 2 counts of aggravated identity theft

• Indicted on 1 count of access device fraud

• Accused of skimming credit cards from ATM machines in Seattle

• Defrauded donors and had them donate $50k to his LLC instead of his campaign

• Invented campaign donors, and some donors claimed to not have donated

• Spent campaign funds on personal expenses like Sephora, Hermes, OnlyFans and Botox

• Collected $24k in unemployment benefits while employed in 2020 and 2021

• Stole the identity of family members

• Used campaign donors’ credit card info to make additional campaign donations

• Submitted fraudulent campaign finance filings to the FEC

• Lied about personal loans to his campaign to inflate his fundraising numbers

• Reimbursed himself for loans he didn’t make

• Lied about his marriage and divorce to a woman

• Was a drag queen in Brazil

• Claimed he was the target of an assassination attempt

• Lied about acting in Hannah Montana and Suite Life of Zack & Cody

• Lied about acting in a movie with Uma Thurman

• Lied about helping to produce Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark

• Lied about being a journalist and executive for Brazilian media giant Globo

After Santos himself, I I really put the bulk of the blame on the DNC + DCCC for not finding out about even a quarter of these huge ass lies until he was already in office. (Sorry, but the Republican Party ain’t gonna do it).

[arathejedi394]

snippet from into the dark

The conference is not held in a board room or auditorium, but what looks like Mikoyan’s personal office at the Ritz. The office is definitely spacious, but with the number of people shoehorned in, it feels rather cramped. Bucky’s crew is limited to a ten by five foot square; Murdock and Nelson sit in straight-backed armchairs, Natasha, Clint, and a few of the other goons are in folding chairs, but most of them are left standing. Given the number of times the arguing has escalated to drawn weapons, Steve fully understands why there are ten armed men standing behind them.

However, Steve’s bored as shit. Bucky’s definitely bored as shit, too, considering the argument currently taking place has nothing to do with his territory. Steve’s pretty sure the root cause of this problem is Pascal Boissieus’s insecure relationship Va niquer ta merehis father, becVa niquer ta mereause it really seems that this argument is purely between him and his sister, Charity (Cyril’s the one married in, turns out). Shit’s weird.

But it’s day 9 of this fucked up conference. Steve is texting Darcy, Peggy, and Peter to complain and trash-talk. He misses his bed back in New York and he’s getting tired of having nothing but the food served at the Ritz; they haven’t had time to get In’N’Out or pastrami from The Hat, the conference is so demanding.

“Can we table this?” Bucky asks for the eighth time in the past twenty minutes.

“C’mon, it’s just gettin’ good!” Simon Robel protests.

“You stay out of this!” Charity snaps.

“Seriously!” Bucky calls. “This has nothing to do with the rest of us!”

“For once, I agree with Barnes,” Krikor Mikoyan announces. “There are more important topics we have not yet touched on.”

“Like what?” Charity Boissieus snaps.

The attention in the room all shifts to Krikor, but he, instead of speaking, turns to look at Fisk. Steve’s phone screen blacks out from inactivity, but he doesn’t move. Fisk stands and steps forward.

“I have a grievance I feel I must share,” he begins.

“Talk shit fast,” Boissieus says.

“It greatly concerns the eight families,” Fisk assures Boissieus, bowing at the waist to the family leaders one by one. 

He doesn’t, however, bow to Bucky. He lets his gaze linger on them and smiles a little. Steve’s jaw tightens.

“What I propose today could change the structure of everything we do,” Fisk says. “My family’s honor was spat upon some fifty years ago, you see.”

“Talk faster,” Bucky snaps.

“It is your organization that slighted me,” Fisk returns, stepping into the center of the room as though taking on a spotlight. “When I was just a boy, my father borrowed money from the Seyrbakovs to fund an election campaign for the city council. But he failed, unfortunately, and was unable to pay back the money he was loaned.”

Steve’s gaze sharpens. Fisk pauses to look around once more, tongue wetting his lips as he takes in a breath and lets his words sink in. Steve sits up a little.

“My father asked the now late Aleksei Seyrbakov, senior, to allow him some time to find a way to repay his debt,” Fisk says. “Seyrbakov gave him no time. Even before the original date that he and my father had agreed upon, Seyrbakov demanded the debt repaid. My father could do nothing, we were penniless and he could barely afford to keep me and my mother off the streets. My father was a good man,” Fisk tells the room, as though insisting the point.

Insisting, Steve knows, because Fisk is fucking lying.

“But Seyrbakov did not see it that way,” Fisk tells them. “When my father failed to repay his debt, Seyrbakov sent men to collect. In blood. I was only twelve.”

“Why should we care?” Marlies demands. “Your pops couldn’t pay up, it’s what happens when you borrow from the mafia.”

“Suck it up, as the kids say,” Constanza Genovesi tells Fisk.

“Had I been an honest businessman, I would agree,” Fisk answers Constanza. “But I am not an honest businessman. I am the new competitor for the Seyrbakov family.”

Bucky opens his mouth. Steve grabs his knee and squeezes. Bucky meets his gaze and Steve just holds it steadily. Let him finish, he tries to silently communicate. Trust me.

Bucky tenses his jaw. He glances to Fisk, then back to Steve. He works his jaw back and forth, his gaze concerned. Steve, maintaining eye contact, slightly lifts his chin. Bucky thinks for a moment, but then, almost imperceptibly, he nods and leans back, and as Steve relaxes next to him again, he flicks his gaze back to Fisk.

“I ask that this conference treat the murder of my father the same way you would your own,” Fisk announces. “The Seyrbakov dynasty has ended, you all agree that Barnes is not the rightful heir to the family, he deserves no seat at this council. My business is bigger and better. I could wipe him out in an instant, but I stand before you today because while I may not be an honest businessman –”

Fisk turns and looks directly at Bucky.

“I am no underhanded serpent,” he concludes darkly.

Fisk stops. The room is silent. Steve swings his spiked red bottom Death Metal heels off the opposite arm of the sofa and sits upright. He looks Fisk in the eye despite the quickening of his heartbeat, then brings his hands together and claps once, twice, three times. 

Fisk blinks. Steve applauds slowly. No one joins in and everyone looks at him like he’s insane.

“That was really moving,” he starts calmly. “Did you write it down or was it off the top of your head?”

“I am not sure I understand –” Fisk starts, but Steve cuts him off.

“It’s a really convincing story,” he says, flicking his eyebrows up and even smiling. Fisk looks flabbergasted now. Steve just smiles. “A story,” he repeats, “but go off, I guess.”

“Are you calling me a liar?” Fisk asks, sounding highly insulted.

“I ain’t callin’ you a truther,” Steve snaps. “Pal, who the fuck you kiddin’? You killed your father!”

Fisk sucks in a breath and his eyes widen. Bucky lets out a sudden and sharp laugh and flops backward in his seat, covering his eyes with a hand. Krikor Mikoyan grabs Fisk’s arm and makes as though to whisper in his ear, but Steve stops him, again.

“Credit to him,” he announces, looking around the room, “his pop beat him and his ma an’ I really don’t think a jury would’a convicted him, even when he was 12, but his pa didn’t get offed by the Seyrbakovs and it had nothin’ to do with money!”

“He’s lying!” Krikor laughs, sounding very unconvincing. “Seyrbakov had Wilson’s father killed –!”

“Blah, blah,” Steve interrupts. “You wanna call out an underhanded serpent, how ‘bout you call out yourself, you fucking p***,” he spits out violently, impulsively. “Well, I suppose technically, you’re an ephebophilic.”

Bucky jolts. Fisk’s eyes narrow and Steve doubles down. 

“Yeah, I said it!” he snaps, clapping his hands together. “You’s a snake and a creep, you nasty! Take your grievances and GTFO, asshole!”

“What?” Krikor splutters.

“How dare you –” Vanessa, Fisk’s fiancée, starts on Steve.

“Sis,” Steve interrupts her, too, “just don’t.”

“Was this your grand plan to oust Barnes once and for all, Kay?” Kempinski asks Krikor angrily. “A weak lie by a low-level mob boss?”

“I am not lying!” Fisk says in almost a roar.

“You told Garrett,” Steve snaps. 

Fisk’s gaze snaps back to his and Steve just raises his brows. 

“Back in the Persian Gulf, remember that?” he spills. “The night the two of you lost your squad and you was deep in enemy territory, thought you was gonna die, so you told each other your worst secrets?”

Fisk doesn’t reply. His silence says everything, though.

“Don’t feel bad,” Steve adds, “Garrett never keeps secrets. Kept,” he corrects himself. “Satan torture his soul,” he concludes.

(Satan’s not torturing his soul. Because Bucky’s not done torturing his body.)

Marlies Robel starts slow-clapping. Boissieus quickly joins in, then Charity and Cyril and the other Robels join in. Garine rushes in and grabs Krikor’s arm, yanking him away from Fisk and hissing angrily in his ear. Vanessa moves to her man’s side and touches his arm gently. Fisk doesn’t move.

“Let’s touch back on that p*** thing,” Simon Robel says. “I fucking hate p***s.”

“Wilson is no child predator!” Vanessa snaps.

Steve waves a hand at her. “What’d I just tell you two minutes ago?” he demands. “Sis, just don’t.”

“Do you have proof?” James Wesley tries to ask.

Steve turns his gaze on him and just stares blankly at him. Wesley spreads his hands, raising his eyebrows. Bucky sets a hand on Steve’s back, but Steve works his jaw, then leans forward and looks at Garine and Krikor.

“Does that big screen have a cast function?” he asks, waving his phone a little.

Krikor glares. Garine glances at the nearest large, flat-screen TV mounted on the wall – there are many – and she shrugs, then grabs a remote and switches it on. Steve looks down and unlocks his phone, jaw clenched, and opens up his Google Drive.

There were definitely more things to hate about his time learning from Garrett, but Steve can be glad for a few. One of which, Garrett’s insistence on security.

“What are you doing?” Vanessa asks.

Steve taps on an old video, hits cast, and selects the nearby TV. He looks up and watches as the TV loads the media from his phone. His pacemaker’s keeping his heartbeat from pounding out of his chest. This is overkill. This is so overkill, but Steve’s pissed. Does he fucking have fucking proof?

[scifrey]

Listen.

If you've read my fics, you know that I love history. I love pageantry. I love symbolism. I love beautiful clothes, and art, and jewels. I love going behind the scenes and seeing into castles and manor houses. I love parades, and the hidden meaning behind coronations, and the fairytale unreality of the lives of the gentry.

I believe, however, that all of these things should be ARTIFACTS.

I believe there is literally no point in upholding a monarchy or commonwealth any more.

Allow commonwealth countries become republics. Allow Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Wales to return to being seperate nations if they vote to become so. Allow those republics to create their own network of mutual support, should they so choose to. There's no reason to not keep up Commonwealth ties and festivals even if there's no Commonwealth.

Repatriate artifacts, art and jewels to their nations of origin. Offer monetary compensation/support for cultures violated and impoverished by colonialism. Help establish democracies where needed, and butt the hell out where they're not. (And especially don't establish puppet democracies, ew.)

Let the British royal family become symbolic tourist attractions, let them fund their own charities, and throw their parties, and knight their artists, and uphold their royal orders of garters and baths, and maintain their personal properties--and make them do it with their own wealth and real estate investments. They're multi-billionaires. They can afford it. They'll be fine.

But remove them from the machine of governance. Detach them entirely from public spending, dependance, or influence.

And if they do participate in traditions of parliament (like the Opening, which is actually really cool and fascinating panto, which I quite like and hope they WOULD continue), man, do it without the silly hat. If the King wants to wear the silly hat, make him pay for the upkeep of the silly hat out of his own pocket. It's HIS silly hat, after all. It's not like we all get a turn with it, even though we do pay for it.

(Actually, the Crown Jewels are owned by the British Public so like... if they want to take them along when they go, make the royal family buy them. And then let them charge museums a fee to loan them for exhibition, just like privately owned paintings by famous Masters are loaned to art galleries.)

Let the royals continue to do all the things the royals do, if they want to do them. Just… make them pay for it themselves. Dissolve the Sovereign Grant, and use all that money to pay for things like restitution, repatriation, and hey maybe increasing public spending on health care and social infrastructure.

Turn the public-owned properties into, yeah, tourist attractions in part (gotta fund their upkeep somehow). But also put public offices in there. Maybe some social housing. Maybe hospitals, with well-paid front-line staff. Event spaces. Seniors care homes. Something.

If Hampton Court Palace can do it, so can Buckingham.

Balmoral and Sandringham are privately owned, there's lots of land and buildings for the family to occupy. They won't be homeless.

Keep the royal family, if the royal family wants to be kept. Include the royal family if the royal family wants to be included. Just make them pay for their own stuff with their own money. And do BETTER things with the savings.

Yes, I'm aware that this may be wishful thinking.

Yes, I'm aware that unscrupilous people may take advantage of monetary support given to commonwealth nations and keep it for themselves. (And I'm not unaware that it would happen in ALL the nations, yes, even Canada where I live. There are a LOT of currently-serving politicians who are vile, scummy, self-serving arseholes.) Yes, I'm aware that mutual support between nations of the commonwealth is all that is preventing famine or religious war in some places.

Yes, I'm aware none of this is as easy as I'm making it sound.

But I think it's time to stop celebrating and upholding centuries of brutal militaristic colonialism and the destruction and subversion of so many beautiful cultures for the sake of some tourist bucks. I especially think it's time for the public to stop PAYING for it.

I love history. I love symbolism. I love the stories of royalty and treachery and gallantry and seduction. I love the architecture of great houses, and the meaning behind golden spoons from over a thousand years ago, and the fascination of birthrights and bloodlines. I love paintings, and balls, and the gorgeous work of exceptionally talented artisans that go into making all the amazing silly hats.

I write historical romances for goshsakes.

And I also think it's time to stick it all where it belongs -- in a museum.

[harrison-abbott]

shy brittle grandfather

I had this shy brittle grandfather who everybody else picked on most of his life. All the family picked on him. He had that magnet for bullying that some folks just have. Couldn’t really defend himself. ///// His one coveted attribute was his ability to earn and conserve money. He had the best job. Was able to live by himself in a big house (he’d never married because no woman was interested in him). The best job and he was able to retire early, and the interior of his big house wasn’t that glittery; but he could sure enjoy retirement by going on holidays to America or Tokyo or the Pacific Islands or whatever. ///// I was in my 30s when he retired. And in my mid thirties I found myself very tight for cash. I had an ex girlfriend, and a kid: and my kid lived with her. And I lived with an old mate from high school who was shoddy with the bills and rent, and kept having to ask me for money. In short, my life situation was pretty dire. And there were several times when I thought about calling up my grandfather to ask for a loan of money, in the hope that he might just give me some rather than it being a loan. ///// But, I remember laughing at him when I was little. I joined in, around the Christmas table. My own Dad used to be the main antagonist. And I remember being red in the face, sore in the gums, from giggling at him. ///// Dad wasn’t alive anymore. He died of throat cancer when he was in his late fifties. ///// I got to the age of 40 as well. Grandad was still alive. I was doing a bit better than I was a few years back, but still not secure. I looked up Grandad online to see what he was up to. He was in Australia, at this point. He’d also been far more places than I had. ///// When he was 96, Grandfather perished. Of old age. ///// We all went to his funeral. The siblings and I. His grandchildren who had known him for so long. Who used to tease him rambunctiously when we were little. We were sad, that he’d finally passed. And at this point my eldest brother wasn’t even alive anymore, either. He’d passed of cancer this well – this time, in the liver. /////

I was secretly glad at my big brother was dead because it meant more inheritance money for me. ///// We were all looking forward to what Grandad had left for us in his will. None of us said it but we all knew it and that’s why we made the extra effort for the ceremony. His lawyer said he would get in contact with us after the funeral. To tell us what was owed to us. Which was a specific request, in the very will: that we attend his funeral first and then his lawyer would send us the details of the will in the following days. By email. The lawyer would send us the information via emails. ///// So we went to the funeral. In a rosy churchyard. All handsomely done with his coffin lowered into the yard. ///// And we hungrily awaited the emails. And they came on a Tuesday morning. Just as I was getting ready to go to my work. ///// Grandfather had donated his entire wealth. All he had ever earned in life, to charities. A wildlife charity and a group that was trying to tackle climate change and a group that worked with homeless people and he had left a fund with the local university to help build their library. There were several thousands donated to foodbanks across the city. He had sent money up to a forestry group up north who were planting trees in privately owned land; as well as a company that were developing green energy off shore. ///// I looked through the details of the will, on and on, and was waiting for the part where our names, his grandchildren would turn up. There were several pages to get through. So I thought that perhaps he had left us on the last page, to save the best for the last. Although, as I kept going, he must have been far more wealthy than I thought. And he must’ve run out of quite a lot of his pot, by the time I did reach the final page. ///// On said page there was a personal note from him. Which said, “To my Grandchildren, I wish you chaps all the best for the future.” ///// He’d left us no money whatsoever. ///// I hated him at first. Then I gradually began to understand, over time. Fair enough, I thought. Considering how we treated him across life. We only wanted him at the end because of his money. We never appreciated him when he was alive.

[slocumjoe]

usually when people apologize for something being long its like...two paragraphs, but i admire that you actually come through on that

I personally lay hexes on people who post very long text blocks without a readmore, so I did have to go through and just copy+paste so I could put a readmore. Also, I italicized quotations/parentheses and italicized+bolded+colored the names, as I usually do, just because it’s easier for me to read. sorry for like, hijacking your stuff

anyway, @dontletyourchildrenwatchthis’s band au

Sole: is the director of the band. It’s more of a community band that they formed up after being medically discharged from the marines. Always wanted to be in a concert band/have their own band, and was in college for music education before enlisting due to financial disparities. Allows anyone and everyone who has a passion for music to join, and is a very open and free director, does their best to be friends with everyone in the band so the members don’t just see them as a director. Has even reached out to many people (some of the companions) to join. Though they’re fun, they take the band very seriously. If someone doesn’t take the band seriously with their commitment/dedication they very firmly ask them to consider their involvement. Does their best to help out anyone in need (practice, transportation, etc). Does their best to put together community concerts to raise funds for charities or funds for the band so they can travel/have music or instruments. Will put together specific pieces to show allow people to show off their skills.

Cait: I think she would be a trombone player. She used to be a trumpet player throughout grade school, as it was one of the only escapes from her abusive home life. After school practices, concert nights/trips, spending time in the practice rooms after school to avoid going home. Though it was originally a tool to escape home, she grew to love playing in a band, the support of her director and the friends in her section/bandin general. Though, when she was in high school her parents stole her instrument (which was loaned to her by the school since she couldn’t afford one of her own) in order to buy drugs. This made Cait very understandably upset, and it caused her a lot of trouble since the trumpet belonged to the school, so she wasn’t allowed to play anymore despite it not being her fault. She never forgave her parents for that, and without the support of the band, and her lack of stability at home caused her to fall off, much like her parents. Drugs, fights, etc. It took several years of her life, but after one-too-many arrests, she was forced to join NA (narcotic anonymous), and saw a flier for Sole’s community band. She wanted to pick up trumpet again, but too many fights ruined the dexterity of her hands, but Sole helped her pick up trombone, since it doesn’t require finger movements, and since she had past experience with a brass instrument, she didn’t have to learn an entirely new embouchure, just adjusted it to the new instrument. Being in the band has helped her stave off any relapses, as she knows Sole relies on her to be the principal trombone player, and she’s also grateful of all the help they offered her when she was at one of her lowest points.

Curie: I think she would primarily play violin, but her eagerness and desire to learn has caused her to attempt to pick up just about every other string instrument. Though, her primary job as a pharmacist already makes it difficult to dedicate a ton of time to the band, which has caused her much grief and has even caused a minor break-down, because she wants to dedicate herself to your band, and wants to learn so many new instruments. Sole, doing their best to be a good friend and director, allows her to learn on the donated instruments they’ve gotten, or the few they've bought and restored themselves. This allows Curie to try a new instrument every few concerts, which involves months of learning while they practice the new pieces. So far, Curie has picked up viola, and cello. Though, Curie is more than happy to play the violin if Sole really needs her for a specific piece or two.

Danse: Is also a veteran, in fact, it was through the service that he met Sole. They were under his command for the first few years of their service before being transferred to put their skill elsewhere. He was medically discharged after a mission went wrong. Danse entirely blames himself, because he believes it was his decision making that led to the deaths of his entire team, sans himself for being in power armor, despite the fact that his mission was doomed from the start. He completely lost his self-confidence and his purpose in life after his injuries made it impossible for him to rejoin the service. He reconnected with Sole at a veteran association, where they told him of their band. Sole offered Danse to join, as there were a few other veterans from the community in. He refused at first, since he didn’t know how to play a single instrument, but reluctantly accepted their offer to be taught one. I had a bit of a hard time choosing which instrument he would play, since I think he would be either a french horn or euphonium player. Sole let him try out both, and since I’m more partial to him playing french horn, that’s what I’m gonna go with him choosing. Being in Sole’s band has helped him regain his self confidence, and has given him a purpose. He is a dedicated and quick learner, which has made learning the instrument very easy for him, though he has a tendency to over-play when practicing. He was also a little hard to get along with at first, since he treated his section like a unit of soldiers, barking orders and sharing his not-so-nice opinions towards players who weren’t as dedicated as he thought they should be. Though,after a meeting with Sole, he became more mindful of his behavior. Speaking of Sole, he is extremely proud of them, growing into a leader/director/teacher, as he remembered how they were when they were first under his command years ago.

Deacon: Deacon is adaptive, and loves to move around, which is why I think he would be in percussion. He is a sort of jack of all trades, knows how to play most instruments that involve mallets, drum sticks, chimes, etc. If it involves a stick and something to hit, he’s on it. This may involve him having to move around to different instruments throughout a concert or even in a single piece, but he’s got it under control. He moves so fluidly and quietly you sometimes don’t even see him transfer instruments. He is just suddenly playing when he comes in. He can even play piano in a pinch, though he isn’t a fan of being that close to the edge of the stage, so far in the front of the band, which is why he is particularly fond of percussion, because they’re in the back. He is sort of hidden back there, that’s something he very much vib(raphone)es with. He will also lightly make fun of Sole for the faces they pull while directing after practice/concerts. He has even made faces back in the middle of practices, which has caused Sole to get distracted more than once, to which they will lightly scold him afterwards.

Hancock: Saxophone. When I think of Hancock, I think of smooth, really mellow and slow jazz. He is an amazing player, but prefers slower songs, songs that don’t require much technicality or any strong concentration/practice. He is a very lax person, not much of a fan of hard and rigid genres of music. He much prefers jazz, pieces that have interpretive solos/duets up to the players. I think at first he didn’t take the band seriously, would occasionally not show up for practice and a few concerts, because he either didn’t care or got too high (more than just weed with this guy, he does harder drugs usually). After Sole had a talk with him though, he initially quit. He originally joined the band because he liked how fun and free Sole was, and how loosely they managed the band. When Sole had that talk with him about needing more dedication from him to be in the band, he initially was upset, believing that went completely against the “freeness” of the band. But, he very much missed playing for Sole’s band, and worked out an agreement with them. He helped Sole form a full jazz band, which was much more lowkey, and comprised a smaller section of the band, purely for those that wanted to play full on jazz pieces. The smaller band had less practices and would usually play 1 or 2 pieces at the end of a normal concert. Out of respect to Sole’s dedication to the band (and to Cait’s triggers) he no longer shows up high, and doesn’t not mention his drug use/habits during meetings.

MacCready: I see Mac as a violinist as well. He played throughout most of grade school, but had to drop out of school when he accidentally got his girlfriend pregnant. He had to drop out of school and drop the cello in favor of working to support himself and his son. His girlfriend’s parents thankfully watched Duncan while Mac went to work, but that stopped after his girlfriend died. They blamed it on him, and in a way, he blamed himself too. She had been on her way back to her parents when she was in a car accident, which she unfortunately passed away from. This resulted in Mac almost falling apart. It was a really tough time for him, and became even harder when Duncan became seriously ill. This is how he met Sole, through one of their charity events. Sole’s charity raised a ton of money for the families of sick kids, helping them afford treatment. Once Duncan got better, Mac felt like he had to thank Sole personally. This is where they offered him to join the band. He was hesitant at first, since he had very little time as it is, and thought he needed to find extra childcare for Duncan, but Sole encouraged him to bring Duncan to practices, and has even helped him with childcare, offering to watch Duncan for free while Mac was at work, and Sole even started teaching him how to play piano. It was very difficult for Mac to make friends as a single father, especially since his girlfriend died, but joining the band has given him a chance for friends, even some around his age with kids of their own.

Nick: When he was younger, Nick was a very good trumpet player. Though he hadn’t picked it up in many many years by the time he met Sole. As a retired detective that suddenly had a ton of time on his hands, he looked for ways to occupy himself. He heard about Sole’s band through the paper, and when he read that it was an open community band that required a little more than light commitment, he pulled his old trumpet out of storage and showed up to practice. Though it took some time to get used to it again, and after a few cleanings and tune ups, he was back to the star trumpet player he had been back when he was younger. Though he makes jokes about how difficult it is to keep up with the younger members, he is constantly impressing everyone with his range and speed. Nick has taken a very strong liking to Sole, due to their kindness and dedication to the band and the members of it. He tries to take them under his wing, helping them manage the band and concerts and charities and everything else. He worries Sole will overwork themselves, much like he had during his job, so he offers his help where he can, and reminds them to take breaks, both physically and mentally.

Piper: Played the flute and also picked up the piccolo throughout grade school, though it was more of a hobby and hadn’t played either since high school until she joined Sole’s band. She found the band while reporting on it during one of the charity events Sole put on, and liked what she heard so much she decided to pick up her hobby again. Her being a journalist for the local paper has its benefits, because she will write articles about the band, upcoming concerts, etc (she may or may not include how beautifully the flute section played, and write about how one unknown flutist in particular played so beautifully, it moved the crowd to tears). Her contacts and connections through her job have elicited larger donations for the band and the charities it supports, but has also gotten them very prestigious concert opportunities. Piper herself is a wonderful flute player, and since her job requires a lot of typing, technical pieces where her fingers are flying over the keys are her specialty.

Preston: Clarinet and assistant band director. Also a veteran, and was in an army band before his enlistment contract ended. He enjoys marches the most, but is also a fan of jazz pieces, which has allowed him to explore his confidence a bit more with all the interpretive pieces. Joined Sole’s community band for his love of playing clarinet. He offhandedly mentioned wanting to learn how to direct to one of his section-mates, to which Sole had heard and taken seriously. He was extremely unconfident throughout his life, especially in leader roles, but has slowly grown much more confident under Sole’s direction. They will switch out during concerts, with Sole picking up their own instrument and joining the band while he gets to direct. Sole has involved him in deciding the theme of the concert, picking out songs based on what strengths the band had/things they wanted to improve. Sole even handed the reins entirely over to Preston so he could coordinate his own concert and direct it entirely on his own. Preston has excelled with directing, but has unfortunately fallen victim to Deacon’s light bullying over his “director faces”.

Strong: Strong is a huge man, in every way. There aren’t many big-person friendly instruments besides the tuba, though he still manages to make the tuba look small. Strong had a somewhat rough upbringing, and very rarely had kindness in his life. So when he meets Sole, someone who is genuinely kind and does their best to offer help, not only to the members of their band, but their entire community, Strong is immediately transfixed. He has not known kindness like Soles’s someone who just gives it out, whether or not the person deserves it. And according to himself, he was not worthy of kindness for the things he’s done. As an ex-con, he struggled greatly to find places that would accept him, which is only strengthened by the way he looks. Big, intimidating, mean. But Strong is also kind at heart, and only wants to learn how to be able to give his kindness instead of the cruelty given to him and expected of him. When he heard of Sole’s band, he really wanted to join, but didn’t even know how to play a single instrument, though that has never mattered to Sole. They offered to teach him some instruments, starting with the tuba since it was the easiest for him to play, size wise. But then someone donated a harp to Sole, hoping they could put good use to it. Strong was mesmerized by the beautiful and large instrument, and was the first to volunteer learning it for the band. He fell in love with it instantly, to the point where Sole gave him an extra key to the practice room so he can come in and practice when he pleases. Sole does their best to find pieces that include harp, but Strong still plays tuba when needed.

X6-88: Growing up, his guardians brought him up playing piano. He was forced to play the instrument for the majority of his life. Practices almost every day, concerts, school band, church band, etc. His guardians were very strict, and didn’t let him quit or have any of his other hobbies. They told him he was made for piano, he had a gift. He was naturally quite good at it, and through the rigorous routine and harsh punishments of his guardians, he excelled at it. A prodigy, if you will, winning competitions, playing in state, etc. He even got a scholarship for a prestigious music school for it, and he went through with it because that was what was expected of him. That is where he met Sole. The college was near their community, and they were looking for students wanting to play in concerts, as many college music students were constantly on the lookout for opportunities like that. He took Sole up on their offer, because he knew it would be expected of him were his parents there. He did his role perfectly, playing piano, but Sole was able to pick up that it wasn’t something he particularly wanted to do. And it was through Sole X6 was finally able to explore different hobbies, different interests. Sole also helped him gain the confidence to stand up to his parents, accept that he was his own person, an adult at that, and that he could choose his own hobbies and interests. He changed his major in college and has decided to pursue an entirely different degree, but he still plays in Sole’s band as their pianist. Now that he was able to pursue his own interests, he found that he did like piano, and was now playing as a choice instead of an expectation.

[clawbehavior]

really getting into a TDJ au idea loosely based on mon mothma's storyline from andor:

kim gaon is an up and coming judge well loved by the public. he's also secretly funding resistance to the SRF, having watched their influence grow into a full out takeover of government.

after a surprise attack on one of their strongholds, the SRF starts cracking down on the resistance. they pass legislation that grants them sweeping powers, including investigating large financial transactions and auditing public figures.

recognizing that his popularity will make him a target, gaon acts quickly to make up the missing bank funds. he turns to kang yohan for help, the notoriously ruthless loan shark with a murky past that includes rumors of fratricide. the death of kang yohan's family has conveniently left him as the sole executor of his niece's inheritance. he's the devil gaon doesn't know but gaon is cornered. at least kang yohan is known to strictly abide by the terms of his contracts, unlike the unpredictable jukchang, a money lender with ties to organized violence.

so he meets kang yohan. their meeting is attacked. gaon shields yohan with his own body and they escape alive but injured. yohan brings gaon to his secluded fortress to recuperate where gaon also meets kang elijah.

cue suspicious gaon falling into bed with a maddeningly elusive yohan, figuratively at first and literally later on. in the interim, they continue to support the resistance independently of each other, not recognizing that the help they're getting is other acting anonymously.

things become complicated. gaon is drawn to yohan's unique brand of ethics and its capacity for justice but is ultimately conflicted over yohan's motivations and the hold his past has on him. yohan is intrigued by the contradiction between gaon's stubborn conviction in doing the right thing and his impulsive personality. they reach an emotional stalemate: gaon pleads with yohan to reveal his motivations and the truth behind the fire, but protecting elijah is more important to yohan than whatever he feels for gaon. so he does what he does best and redirects, misrepresents, and manipulates until gaon leaves of his own accord.

when yohan finally puts two and two together about gaon's role in the resistance and decides to trust him, he's ambushed by the SRF. he escapes only to find the fortress destroyed with elijah inside. gaon cannot be reached. inconsolable with rage and grief, yohan returns to the resistance with a renewed vow for vengeance.

months later, yohan is attending a public charity event intending to capture and interrogate the assistant to the minister of justice when he's suddenly pulled out of the hallway and into a dark room. it's gaon, eyes bright, holding onto yohan's jacket like a lifeline, hale and unharmed.

after he'd lost elijah, yohan couldn't find it in himself to establish contact with gaon again when the latter reemerged in the public eye. the chances of being reminded of elijah by being in the presence of someone who cared for her was too abhorrent. so yohan had stayed away.

except, gaon is at the event with his new ward, a teenage boy who looks...familar. it's elijah, incandescent in her disguise and very much whole and alive.

it turns out gaon had received word of the ambush against yohan and had raced to the fortress. he'd barely managed to get elijah out before the mansion was attacked, running through the forest with her in his arms until he reached the car that would transport them to a safehouse. they had laid low for a few days to evade the SRF's notice. by the time they could make contact, yohan was gone. none of gaon's contacts in the resistance could tell him where, yohan having gone deep into their folds where gaon's influence couldn't reach. afraid of compromising elijah's safety with a message, the two decided to wait for yohan to show up again. in the meantime, gaon had fashioned a disguise for her as his male ward.

cue gender bending shenanigans, family reunions, a team up to take down the SRF once and for all, and romantic revelations.

---

this au idea was brought to you by my watching 'the last of us' and imagining gaon fiercely protecting elijah in yohan's absence, lying beside her at night with one eye on the door and a hand on his gun, the two of them looking out for each other until yohan reunites with them and sees gaon for the protector he is.

[byenycfm]

Tobias Wexley Sr || 60 || #305 || George Clooney || Closed

Personality:

Tobias Wexley Sr may be a little detached from most people's lived experiences, but he really had the best of intentions at heart. He believes that he should and can do good in the world with his money, and he's tried to live up to that day to day. A family man through and through, he adores his children and never tries to hide that fact, but to their sometimes chagrin. When it comes to his money, or the impact on his family, though, there's a shrewd side of him that he isn't afraid to implement, generally to far greater impact considering his usual jovial and affable demeanour. He truly wants to do best by people, even when sometimes that means making tough decisions.

Biography:

The Wexley line went back nearly as far as American History itself. Among the first wealthy citizens to settle the New World, their money and political connections both in America and the old world, had their high status cemented. By the time New York City was founded, they had their fingers in many a pie, funding loans and buying up property. Quietly wealthy, quietly powerful.

In 1900, it was time for the then head of the Wexley family to finally make his mark on the city scape of New York and construction began on what would be the glistening white twelve stories of The Wexley. Taking the top two floors as the residence for himself and his family, it would become the family base for every subsequent generation to come after. Rubbing shoulders with much more outwardly familiar names of American royalty, The Wexley's tended to stay more or less out of the spotlight, preferring to nurture their connections in the insulated bubble of the Country's one percent.

By the time that Tobias Wexley Sr was born to the family, they were quietly one of the wealthiest families in the Western world, a fact bred into them over countless generations. Raised with love by doting parents who lavished their son with every opportunity and experience he could want or need, he grew into a surprisingly good natured man. He understood the city, high society, the money making complex, and he grew up wanting to do his best to make a positive mark on the world. This started with convincing his father to make the apartments beneath The Wexley Property group to be rent controlled, pleading for his father to see the humanitarian benefits to the hardly significant stagnating off that passive income stream.

Meeting and falling in love with his wife when he realized the far reaching impacts of the charities and foundations she ran, Tobias married her fresh out of college. Together they grew not only his own personal wealth but the family's as well. It was shortly after the birth of his son, Tobias Jr, that his father passed away and he inherited the Wexley estate. The next several years were the best of his life. His wife gave birth to two more daughters, and he cherished every Christmas and vacation with all his children. Until his youngest, Margaret, got sick.

For a long time it seemed all their energy was on finding the best help for her and making sure she wanted for nothing, his pride insurmountable when his son became a surgeon and an integral part to health team of his sister. With routines settled into and business to attend to, and his campaigning for Mayor, things went on as normal as possible from there. Until, that fateful day when he watched from the window of a habour warehouse office as chaos spilled from the ship. Never had he known fear like he did in that moment when his limo was nearly overtaken as they fled into the streets of New York.

He made it back in time to order the lock down of the street access to the building, just in time in fact, to see a wave of snarling faces and banging hands slam into the thick glass of the floor to ceiling lobby windows. The explosion in the lobby when those windows gave way hurt his heart at the destruction of his family's home, essential though it was, and he'd thanked Rosie and The Caretaker for their quick thinking in stemming the flow of... creatures... into the building.

Now he finds himself the mayor of his own little community of residents, hiding a heavy secret from even his family.

Pre Outbreak Occupation:  business man/property owner Previous Zombie Experience: His limo nearly was overwhelmed as they fled a meeting about the purchase of a harbour property. Martial Status:  Married - Constance Wexley Children: 

Tobias ‘Toby’ Wexley Jr

September Wexley

Margaret Wexley

Residence: Penthouse Years residing at The Wexley: 60 Years Connections:

Lane Shelly - Wexley head housekeeper

Rosie Smith - Owner of Rosie's Diner

Sada Vang - Campaign contributor

The Caretaker - Building Caretaker

The Butler - Wexley Head of house staff

Ivy Emerson - On call private flight attendant

[longwindedbore]

How was Trump’s trial rigged’ given the following aspects of the trial?

It was in open court.

Trump had a handpicked very knowledgeable competent and expensive defense team.

The transcripts can be read on line and include the sidebar discussions that were only between the judge and attorneys over objections.

The documents that are evidence presented by the prosecution can be read on line.

The Team had ample opportunity this cross-examine witnesses.

The Team could have recalled Witnesses to ask question about exculpatory or mitigating explanations…but must have had a overwhelming reason why they didn’t.

The Team could have hired a Former rensic Account to challenge the Prosecution’s anaylis of Financial Records…but must have had an overwhelming reason why they didn’t.

On the Court website one can open the May 6th posting of evidence and see DJT’s handwritten signature on checks to Michael Cohen, one a month for eight months on an account for which DJT is the sole signatory - People’s Evidence No. 10, 13, 19, 22, 25, 28, 31, 34.

Then open the deposit of May 10th and see the Trump-Cohen phone logs for the same time period - People’s Evidence #349.

This was a trial of Falsification of three different types of business records over eleven months. These falsifications don’t spontaneously create themselves.

The Defense in closing arguments tried to suggest to the jury that DJT was ‘too busy being President’ to know what he was signing. A statement that ignores the evidence presented to the Jury

the phone log

That the numbered checks signed by Trump that are only a handful of checks apart between months

the the photo of Cohen visiting him the White House;

the April 2018 statement by Trump to the media that Cohen handled Stormy Daniels for him;

the NDA signed by Stormy Daniels;

the $130K wire transfer with DJT’s signature.

Trump lost this Trial because very expensive, competent, knowledgeable lawyers were unable to extract from their Client a viable alternate narrative to account for the evidence being presented by the Prosecution.

No viable alternate explanation. Essentially a re-run of

The Trump Payroll Tax Evasion Case (2022) lost on all 17 counts [maybe the reason the Monitor reported to Judge Engoron that $40M was being moved by the Trump Org for “taxes”]

Lost on all allegations and in all appeals in the Fraudulent Business Records used for Bank Fraud case (2023) [DeutschBank having been previously fined $17B for failing to do due diligence on these ‘whale’ type loans]

the $25M settlement in the class action lawsuit against Trump University (2016)

the closure of the Trump Charity settlement (2019) and Trump’s personal acknowledgment of misuse of funds collected for the Army Emergency Relief, the Children’s Aid Society, Citymeals-on-Wheels, Give an Hour, Martha’s Table, the United Negro College Fund, the United Way of National Capital Area, and the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum.

Does Trump lose in Courts because he’s a Victim of the Deep State OR because he’s a GRIFTER? Does he lose because he cannot provide his attorneys with an honest explanation for how he runs his businesses?

OR does he lose because he was too incompetent as President to defund and dismantle the “Deep State”?

A Deep State could only exist in numbers in the Administrative branch of the Three Branches.

People baffle me. Right after Trump's conviction I heard so many people saying "Jesus was condemned in a rigged trial too". There is a huge difference between an itinerant hippy preaching peace and love and a war-mongering, self-aggrandizing dictator. Why can't people see that?

[certaintrashsuit]

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Tom, a truck driver, praised their service. He had an accident while delivering goods. Within hours, State Farm assigned a claims agent. Repairs were approved quickly, and he was back to work.

Their agents are available 24/7. This ensures help when you need it. State Farm values customer care and trust. Every policyholder feels supported.

Financial Help Beyond Insurance State Farm is more than insurance. They offer financial services too. For instance, they help with retirement planning. Consider a young couple like Lisa and Mark. They started saving through State Farm’s plans. Their agent explained options clearly. Now, they feel confident about the future.

State Farm also offers loans and banking. These services make life easier. Jennifer needed a small business loan. State Farm helped her open a bakery. Today, her business thrives, thanks to their support.

Investments are another strong area. Many use their mutual funds for long-term growth. You don’t need to be an expert. State Farm’s team explains things in simple terms.

Personal Support and Community Care State Farm is more than a company. They care for communities. After hurricanes or floods, they act fast. Aid programs help families rebuild. Michael, from Texas, shared his story. A flood ruined his home last year. State Farm covered his damages and provided extra support.

Their agents live in your neighborhood. They know your area’s needs. This personal touch makes a difference. Agents like Kelly, in Florida, shared her view. “I love helping families feel safe,” she said.

State Farm also gives back through donations. Schools, parks, and charities benefit. Supporting them means supporting your community too.

Discover BizPortUSA: Your Comprehensive Source for USA Contact Information

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10 Best Crowdfunding Platforms In Europe In 2025

The recent field of crowdfunding platforms in Europe has witnessed significant growth. Crowdfunding is used for charities, investments, financing companies, and personal needs. Many people spend their fair share of time using crowdfunding to donate to countless causes for philanthropic activities. With the rough usage of technologies, especially social media, crowdfunding has developed to a new level. However, with several options, there are just a few reliable crowdfunding platforms in Europe. That is why knowing which crowdfunding platform suits your needs is essential.

Even after the Covid-19 pandemic, many crowdfunding platforms in Europe remodelled their business models for their users and have seen a substantial crowdfunding market volume in 2020-21. This blog will help you choose the ideal platform among the best crowdfunding platforms in Europe.

Start your Crowdfunding Campaign with WhyDonate and experience the most hassle-free fundraising!

What Do Crowdfunding Platforms Do?

Crowdfunding platforms in Europe allow people to contribute to a campaign, project, or company. It involves gathering small amounts of money to provide the necessary capital to get the project or company off the ground. Individuals can also contribute to a campaign for their favourite cause.

Fundraising is a more innovative approach to raising funds instead of relying on traditional funding sources, such as bank loans. It allows individuals and organisations to start a new business or fund a charity without going through the laborious process of creating a business plan and conducting market research.

Using the best crowdfunding platforms in Europe can help users achieve their goals in less time and with the utmost ease. Another thing about reliable crowdfunding platforms in Europe is that you know where your money is going or coming from.

Join us in making a difference through crowdfunding!

Which Crowdfunding Site Is The Best?

There are several criteria to consider before starting a fundraiser through a crowdfunding platform in Europe. Number one is the reliability of the platform. The other options to consider are accessibility, user experience, and understanding of the system behind the platforms. Let us now have a look at the most prevalent crowdfunding platforms in Europe.

1. WhyDonate (Netherlands)

WhyDonate is a leading name among crowdfunding platforms in Europe and beyond, enabling individuals and organizations to launch impactful fundraising campaigns without platform fees. It’s specifically designed to raise money for any cause, supporting private fundraising projects and charities alike.

WhyDonate offers multiple exciting fundraising features such as a customised fundraising page, quick payouts, multi-language support, multitasking dashboard, and more.

2. JustGiving (United Kingdom)

JustGiving is one of the most popular crowdfunding platforms in Europe, offering a variety of fundraising categories like emergency response, organized charity events, and personal milestones. The platform connects users with over 25,788 charities and encourages participation in charitable activities through email and social media campaigns.

3. Goteo (Spain)

Goteo stands out among crowdfunding platforms in Europe for supporting social, cultural, and educational initiatives through collaborative funding. Operating as a non-profit, it emphasizes transparency, ethical practices, and open-source principles, making it a trustworthy choice for ethical crowdfunding.

4. Booomerang (Denmark)

Booomerang is Denmark’s largest reward-based crowdfunding platform and a notable addition to the list of crowdfunding platforms in Europe. It’s popular for supporting entrepreneurs, artists, and musicians to raise funds through financial backing from their networks.

5. Ulule (France)

Ulule is one of the pioneering crowdfunding platforms in Europe, designed to support creative, innovative, and community-focused projects. With its unique reward-based model, it empowers creators to build a supportive community while funding their projects.

6. Loveitaly (Italy)

Loveitaly is among the unique crowdfunding platforms in Europe, focused on preserving Italy’s cultural heritage. It has built a network of contributors to fund conservation initiatives, collaborating with various Italian institutions.

7. Betterplace.org (Germany)

Betterplace.org is one of the most transparent crowdfunding platforms in Europe, providing donors with regular updates on project progress through photos and videos. Its commitment to accountability makes it a trusted choice for many.

8. Give&Fund (Greece)

Give&Fund allows users to launch their own fundraising campaigns or donate to community initiatives, making it a versatile choice among crowdfunding platforms in Europe.

9. RaiseNow (Switzerland)

RaiseNow focuses on innovation and social impact, making it a leader in the list of top crowdfunding platforms in Europe. With its advanced technology and over 1,000 software integrations, it empowers changemakers to address pressing global challenges.

10. Invesdor (Finland)

Invesdor is an investment-focused platform among crowdfunding platforms in Europe. It helps businesses attract investors through tailored presentations, fostering connections and enabling growth.

Answering Popular European Crowdfunding FAQs

1. Which Crowdfunding Site Has The Lowest Fees?

Among all the great options above, WhyDonate has the lowest cost of all time regarding crowdfunding platforms in Europe.

2. Is Crowdfunding A Good Idea?

Yes, crowdfunding is an excellent idea, especially when done through reliable crowdfunding platforms in Europe.

3. Which Type Of Crowdfunding Is Most Popular?

The four most popular types of crowdfunding are:

Donation-based crowdfunding

Reward-based crowdfunding

Equity crowdfunding

Loan Crowdfunding

4. How Do I Choose A Crowdfunding Platform In Europe?

When choosing among the crowdfunding platforms in Europe, consider factors like fee structure, user experience, audience reach, and success rates.

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Emergency Loans: Rapid Money Reduction If You Want It Most

Life is often unpredictable, and fiscal emergencies can arise when the very least anticipated. Crisis loans are designed to give quick use of funds all through important occasions, serving to people tackle urgent expenses devoid of hold off. In this post, we’ll examine what emergency loans are, their Gains, and techniques for working with them responsibly.

What Are Crisis Financial loans?

Emergency loans are limited-time period monetary merchandise intended to deal with immediate wants, for instance professional medical costs, urgent repairs, or unforeseen payments. These financial loans prioritize pace and accessibility, normally with streamlined software procedures and rapid disbursement of funds.

Important Functions of Unexpected emergency Loans

Swift Approval:

Quite a few lenders present similar-working day or upcoming-working day approvals to guarantee resources can be obtained as promptly as feasible.

Versatile Bank loan Amounts:

Bank loan measurements differ with regards to the borrower’s demands, from a couple of hundred to several thousand pounds.

No Constraints on Usage:

Borrowers can use the resources for almost any urgent cost, regardless of whether healthcare, housing, or travel-linked.

Limited Repayment Terms:

Crisis loans typically have shorter repayment durations to make certain quick resolution.

Popular Employs for Emergency Financial loans

Health-related Bills: Deal with surprising healthcare expenditures or emergency strategies.

Automobile Repairs: Buy urgent motor vehicle maintenance to help keep daily routines on target.

House Repairs: Tackle issues like plumbing leaks or electrical failures.

Journey Expenditures: Handle previous-moment travel expenditures for relatives emergencies.

How you can Make an application for an Crisis Loan

Assess Your requirements:

Ascertain the precise quantity necessary to tackle your crisis.

Investigate Lenders:

Evaluate banking institutions, credit rating unions, and on line lenders for the best terms and quickest disbursement.

Obtain Expected Files:

Usual specifications contain identification, proof of revenue, and financial institution statements.

Submit Your Application:

Total the application procedure on the internet or in particular person, guaranteeing all information are precise.

Obtain Money:

When accepted, money are frequently transferred inside 24 to 48 several hours.

Advantages of Unexpected emergency Loans

Fast Usage of Cash: Supplies quick relief all through urgent cases.

Versatile Eligibility: Several lenders cater to people with different credit rating scores.

Hassle-free Software Course of action: Typically obtainable online for relieve and speed.

Criteria In advance of Applying

Desire Costs:

Emergency financial loans might have bigger premiums due to their small-phrase mother nature.

Repayment Terms:

Ensure the repayment schedule aligns with the monetary condition.

Mortgage Amount of money:

Borrow only what is critical to stop pointless credit card debt.

Alternatives to Unexpected emergency Financial loans

Financial savings: Make use of your crisis fund if accessible.

Charge cards: Think about using a small-interest bank card for smaller, instant bills.

Spouse and children or Buddies: Find momentary financial aid from reliable persons.

Area Resources: Use Neighborhood packages, charities, or non-revenue for aid.

Summary Crisis financial loans are a significant economical Software for navigating unexpected difficulties. By knowing their functions and employing them responsibly, it is possible to tackle urgent demands with no compromising your prolonged-phrase economic wellness. When faced with a financial crisis, recognizing your choices might make all the main difference in finding an answer speedily and effectively.

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[image description: Infographic series

Tzedakah צְדָקָה Picture of a metal can with a slot in the top and a worn sign reading צְדָקָה

The requirement to give, for it is not charity, it is a moral imperative to share.

Tzedakah [צְדָקָה] is translated by many as 'charity', but the direct translation is 'righteousness'.

The root of the word, Tzedek, means justice, which denotes how it is viewed within the Jewish community.

Tzedakah is a religious obligation, not optional charity.

If you have, you must give.

Picture of an old coin with צְדָקָה written in the center

It is a commandment, an obligation, a requirement. Tzedakah is to see the humanity, the human soul, in each of us and to exalt, uplift, honor, support, defend, and fight for that soul; even when we can only give a little.

We must give, not for the betterment of ourselves, but because we know the value of humanity. It is our obligation to each other, as human beings, to take care of one another. Not for a better plot in the heavenly gardens or a nicer spot in the Garden of Eden, but because we are all human beings on this earth, and so it is our duty to take care of each other.

Picture of a metal tankard with a slot in the top and צְדָקָה etched in the side.

How Much?

Tzedakah can be any amount.

Jews are required to give 10% of their annual earnings to Tzedakah (ma'sar kesafim). For those who have more than they need, giving above 20% is recommended. Striving to give what you can, rather than hoarding it, is a Jewish value.

However, if you do not have enough, just the 10% is asked of you.

picture of a battered wooden box with a sign saying Social Justice tacked to the side.

Tzedakah is often given in increments of 18, as chai (חַי), the Hebrew word for life, has the value of 18.

You'll often see Jewish donations like $18, $36, $90, or $180, so as to inspire gratitude, joy, and long life. It is common to see these numbers in any monetary gift (like at a birthday).

8 levels of Tzedakah

Maimonides, also known as the RAMBAM, created a list of his 8 levels of Tzedakah:

Giving an interest-free loan to a person in need; forming a partnership with a person in need, giving a grant to a person in need, finding a job for a person in need, so long as that loan, grant, partnership, or job results in the person no longer living by relying upon others.

Giving anonymously to an unknown recipient via a person or public fund that is trustworthy

Giving anonymously to a known recipient

Giving publicly to an unknown recipient

Giving before being asked.

Giving adequately after being asked.

Giving willingly but inadequately 8 Giving out of pity rather than humanity or giving unwillingly

Picture of old coins, some of which say Palestine and some of which have Hebrew on them.

Tzedakah as a cure

Tzedakah has long held a space in Jewish folk magic as a form of spiritual protection and cure for illness, suffering, harm, and even death.

"According to the rabbinic tradition, three things had the power to save one from death: prayer, repentance, and alms (tefilah, teshuvah, and tzedakah)."

Giving tzedakah is an important part of JEwish tradition for protection for not only one's self, but for their community--though this was not, and should not be, the only intent behind the act.

Picture of a stone with Hebrew writing on it and a carving of someone putting money in a box on top.

When? When? When?

While tzedakah should be given frequently, it is also a common part of Jewish ritual.

Before lighting Shabbat candles, one gives tzedakah (usually by placing coins or money in a tzedakah box, which may also be called a pushke)

Tzedakah should be given on important days, when one is endowed with spiritual blessings and holiness.

These days include birthdays, weddings (particularly for the brides and grooms), and during holidays that include giving.

"Though Jews gave alms all year round, in Elul and the days leading up to Yom Kippur, when the atmosphere of penitence was all-pervading, the faithful were especially keen to give tzedakah as a form of spiritual expiation."

Not sure when to give tzedakah? The time is now.

Picture of a metal tzedakah box

Citations This infographic is just a taste of the information out there--It's not meant to be all-inclusive, so make sure to continue researching on your own. Tuszewicki, Marek, and Jessica Taylor-Kucia. A Frog Under The Tongue: Jewish Folk Medicine in Eastern Europe. Liverpool University Press, 2021 https://outorah.org/p/27370/ https://chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/45907/jewish/Eight-Levels-of-Charity.htm https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/file:Temple_Sinai_%28New_Orleans%29_tzedakah_box,or_pushke%28charity_box_%29.png https://cja.huji.ac.il/gross/browser.php?mode=alone&id=109175

Where To Give You can always find the palces to give tzedakah in the Jewitches linktree, which is available in our bio. Alternately, check our stories for frequent tzedakah opportunities

Screencap of the Jewistches providing links. First link is to their website, second third and fourth are to Gaza evacuation gofundmes, fifth is a digital Shabbat guide.

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The Tzedakah box of my childhood home still lives on a shelf, perpetually filling with coins. I remember many from my time growing up: ironic piggy bank ones, ones made of ornate filigree, those made of classic tin, ones created by community members to raise money for insulin — Tzedakah is a mainstay of Jewish life because we recognize that Tzedakah is life affirming work.

People often ask, what’s the difference between Tzedakah and charity? Charity is a choice; one often made out of pity. Tzedakah is a moral imperative. An easily recognizable definition of a Mitzvah: it is both a commandment and a good deed.

Taking care of one another is required of us.

If you want to the TV show the Good Place, you might have seen Jewish philosophy spoken to you when Chidi gave his speech, “What do we owe to each other?” His work is based on that of TM Scanlon, an ethical philosopher who has a book by the same question. Fictional Chidi comes to the conclusion, “to put it simply: we are not in this alone.”

Tzedakah is physical manifestation of the idea that we owe to each other care, love, and humanity. While this post focuses on monetary aspects, they also aspects like hiring another person, teaching, training, entering into partnerships.

It is our duty to care for one another and expect nothing in return, for it is our duty.

As such, you can go to link in my bio to find literal life saving opportunities. We are so close to reaching the goals of these 3 families.

HERE IS THE LINK

[faryalkhanblog]

Preparing for Filing Self-Assessment Tax Reporting for Crowdfunded Income

When managing crowdfunded income, many individuals may be uncertain about how to report their earnings for tax purposes. Crowdfunding, whether for personal projects, business ventures, or charity funding, often involves receiving contributions from multiple sources, which can complicate the self-assessment process. Understanding how to categorize and report this income is crucial to avoid potential penalties from HMRC.

The Need for Professional Help

Filing a Self-Assessment tax return is mandatory for individuals receiving income through crowdfunding, especially when that income exceeds the personal allowance threshold. However, categorizing crowdfunded income can be tricky. Is it a loan, a gift, or a taxable income? Moreover, handling non-taxable income, such as donations that don't create an obligation for repayment, requires a careful approach to ensure accurate reporting.

Crowdfunding for Joint Venture Projects can further complicate tax filings. Whether you're contributing to a creative business or a startup, the revenue generated from such projects needs to be declared correctly. Without expert guidance, misreporting can lead to costly mistakes. Tax professionals can help determine if crowdfunded income should be categorized as income or capital, and advise on potential deductions for business expenses.

Reporting Crowdfunded Income

For many, the idea of filing a tax return involving Crowdfunded Income might seem daunting. This income could be a combination of donations, investments, or loans, each with different tax implications. Professional assistance ensures that you understand how to report these sources accurately to avoid overpaying or underreporting your tax obligations.

Why You Should Seek Professional Help

Filing a Self-Assessment tax return with complex income streams like crowdfunding can lead to significant errors without proper knowledge. A tax advisor or accountant can help you navigate through the specifics of each type of income, ensuring you comply with HMRC rules. They will also help you claim any eligible allowances or tax reliefs, minimizing your tax liability.

With the help of professionals, you can be confident that your Self-Assessment return is accurate, timely, and free from costly mistakes. Let a tax expert guide you through the intricacies of crowdfunded income reporting, ensuring your compliance and peace of mind.

Conclusion

When it comes to reporting crowdfunded income, hiring a professional is essential to navigate the complexities of Self-Assessment tax filing. Whether you’re receiving funds through Joint Venture Projects, donations, or investments, ensuring accurate categorization and timely reporting is crucial. Professional help can make all the difference in avoiding penalties and maximizing your financial benefits.